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36 THE I BOOKE OF THE Cant VII.
15
He hearkned, and did stay from further harmes,
To gayne so goodly guerdon, as she spake
So willingly she came into his armes,
Who her as willingly to grace did take,
And was possessed of his new found make
Then vphetookethe slombredsencelesse corse,
And ere he could out of his swowne awake,
Him to his castle brought with hastie forse,
And in a Dongeon deepe him threw without
remorse
16
From that day forth Duessa was his deare,
And highly honourd in his haughtie eye,
He gaue her gold and purple pall to weare,
And triple crowne set on her head full hye,
And her endowd with royall maiestye
Then for to make her dreaded more of men,
And peoples harts with awfull terrour tye,
A monstrous beast ybred in filthy fen
He chose, which he had kept long time in dark
some den
17
Such one it was, as that renowmed Snake
Which great Alcides in Slremona slew,
Long fostred in the filth of Lerna lake,
Whose many heads out budding euer new,
Did breed him endlesse labour to subdew
But this same Monster much more vgly was ,
For seuen great heads out of his body grew,
An yron brest, and backe of scaly bras,
And all embrewd in bloud, his eyes did shine as
glas 18
His tayle was stretched out in wondrous length,
That to the house of heauenly gods it raught,
And with extorted powre, and borrow'd
strength,
Theeucr burning lamps from thence ltbrought,
And prowdly threw to ground, as things of
nought,
And vnderneath his filthy feet did tread
The sacred things, and holy hcasts foretaught
Vpon this dreadfull Beast with seuenfold head
He set the false Duessa, for more aw and dread
19
The wofull Dwarfe, which saw his maisters fall,
While he had keeping of his grasmg steed,
And valiant knight become a caytiue thrall,
When all was past, tooke vp his forlorne weed,
His mightie armour, missing most at need ,
His silucr shield, now idle maisterlesse,
His poynant speare, that many made to bleed,
The ruefull moniments of heauinesse,
And with them all departes, to tell his great
He had not trauaild long, when on the way
He wofull Ladie, wofull Vna met,
Fast flying from the Paynims greedy pray,
Whilest Satyrane him from pursuit did let
Who when her eyes she on the Dwarfe had set,
And saw the signes, that deadly tydings spake,
She fell to ground for sorrowfull regret,
And huely breath her sad brest did forsake,
Yet might her pitteous hart be seene to pant
and quake
21
The messenger of so vnhappie newes
Would fame haue dyde dead was his hart
within,
Yet outwardly some little comfort shewes
At last recouering hart, he docs begin
To rub her temples, and to ch mfe her chin,
And euery tender part does tossc and turnc
So hardly he the flitted life does win,
Vnto her natiue prison to retourne
Then gins her grieued ghost thus to lament and
mourne
22
Ye dreary instruments of dolefull sight,
That doe this deadly spectacle behold,
Why do ye lenger feed on loathed light,
Or liking find to gaze on earthly mould,
Sith cruell fates the carefull threeds vnfould,
The which my life and loue together tyde *
Now let the stony dart of senselesse cold
Perce to my hart, and pas through euery side,
And let eternall night so sad sight fro me hide
23
O lightsome day, the lampe of highest loue,
First made by him, Mens wandring wayes to
guyde,
When darknesse he in deepest dongeon droue,
Henceforth thy hated face for euer hyde,
And shut vp heauenswmdowcsshyning wyde
For earthlysight can noughtbut sorrow breed,
And late repentance, which shall long abyde
Mine eyes no more on vanitie shall feed,
But seeled vp with dcath,shall haue their deadly
meed
24
Then downe againe she fell vnto the ground ,
But he her quickly reared vp againe
Thrise did she sinkeadowne in deadly swownd,
And thrise he her reviu'd with busie paine
At last when life recouer'd had the rame,
And ouer-wrestled his strong enemie,
With foltnng tong, and trembling euery vame,
Tell on (quoth she) the wofull Tragedie,
The which these rehques sad present vnto mine
eie